


Merry Krampus

by bestabsoluteduelist



Series: Myth-y Christmas [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Christmas, F/F, Fluff, Krampus - Freeform, Lena doesn't believe in silly folktales, SuperCorp, happy holigays, hijinks ensue, krampusnacht
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27771007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bestabsoluteduelist/pseuds/bestabsoluteduelist
Summary: Lena has a business meeting in Austria in December and find herself at the biggest Krampuslauf in Europe... what could possibly go wrong?ORlast year's silly Christmas folktale fic is now a silly Christmas folktale series
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Series: Myth-y Christmas [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031586
Comments: 7
Kudos: 42





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> the more I learn, the more confusing the Krampus origin stories are

“Hey you,” Kara grinned up at the phone she was holding over her head, settling herself flat on her back on the couch. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but it was a great angle to show off the snowflake-patterned sweater she was wearing. 

“Someone’s in the holiday spirit,” Lena teased through the screen. In contrast to Kara’s messy hair, comfy sweater, and apartment couch, she was sitting upright on the edge of a boardroom chair, wearing a three-piece suit sharp enough to cut and her best Business Face. Her stern expression relaxed though as Kara scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue in response. 

“Yeah yeah, you’re just jealous you can’t rock your sweater in your fancy Munich meetings.”

“Touché,” Lena conceded. Kara rambled on:

“I mean I had to do  _ something  _ festive. It’s already December 3rd and there are no Christmas decorations in my house, Lena! No lights! No tree! Not even a wreath. I wouldn’t do that for just anyone.”

Lena’s affection for her silly, wonderful wife lit up her face. “I know you wouldn’t, darling. And I love you for it.” Her smile fell, and she bit her lip, apprehensive. Kara knew that look. She braced for the bad news. “But I’m afraid I have to ask you to wait a little longer--”

“Lena, no,” Kara groaned. “You’ve been gone for three weeks!”

“We’ve survived longer trips.”

“But--” Kara fumbled for the first reason she could think of. “Uh--L-corp needs you.”

Lena’s eyes narrowed. “Hmm, that’s not what you said when you stole my phone in Iceland.”

“What else can there possibly be to do in Munich anyway? You’ve merged entire companies faster than you’ve worked out this BMW deal.”

“Oh, I already closed the deal,” Lena grinned, a flush of triumph on her cheeks. Kara gasped, her annoyance vanishing instantly. She shot up on the couch so she could get a better look at the phone. 

“You did it!” Kara shouted. Lena beamed back through the phone, stopping herself just short of giggling like a little kid right in the middle of the Munich L-Corp office boardroom. Kara, being alone in their apartment, had no such need to maintain her composure and was furiously pumping her arm in celebration. “I  _ knew _ you could do it!” 

“So don’t begrudge me a few more days, okay? I promise it’ll be quick.”

“Okay, okay,” Kara agreed, spirits much lighter with the news of her wife’s victory. “You know I’m not really mad at you. I just miss you.”

“I know. I miss you too. But just two days in Salzburg for introductory meetings with Porsche, and then it’s back home,” Lena promised. 

The CEO expected some kind of jubilant response. Perhaps promises of things they’d do when she got back, elaborate plans for Christmas decorating or the like, but Kara just... stared at her. 

Lena pulled the phone back and tapped on the screen to make sure the connection hadn’t dropped and the screen was frozen. “Kara? You okay?” 

The Kryptonian frowned, but replied. “I’m here. Salzburg…. Austria?”

Lena let out a breath in relief that nothing had happened. “Yes, it’s just a quick train ride from Munich, and my interpreter managed to get us a meeting on the 6th…” Kara’s brow crinkled, and she seemed very lost in thought. “Darling? What is it?”

“December 6th is St. Nicholas Day.”

“Oh--yes--it is.” Lena was impressed that Kara remembered that tidbit from her childhood stories. The statement still did little to clear up Lena’s confusion about Kara’s sudden displeasure, though. “No offense, but I didn’t think random Catholic holidays were all that important to you.”

“That means December 5th is Krampusnacht, right?”

Lena blinked.  _ Krampusnacht _ ?

And then the pieces clicked into place. Lena recalled their brief exchange the year before - _Promise me we won’t go to the Alps at Christmas -_ and she couldn’t help herself, she _laughed._

This made Kara frown even more. “Lena! It’s not funny.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologized but Kara could see her still trying to conceal her amusement through the phone. “I know--you’re just worried about me. But  _ Krampus?” _

“Lena, we met a ten-ton  _ housecat  _ last year I think you would be at least a  _ little _ concerned about European folk tales by now!”

“We were in an incredibly remote part of an Icelandic nature preserve. I am going to a busy, tourist-filled Central-European city. I promise you, nothing is going to happen--”

Lena’s attention broke away from the phone and to someone else in the room. She traded a quick few words in German while Kara tried to control her definitely, totally, well-founded worries about a horned, clawed Alpine goat demon. 

“I’m sorry,” Lena apologized, bringing her attention back to Kara. “I have to go.”

“Okay,” Kara sighed, “Call me when you arrive safely? And maybe keep calling every hour until you’re out of Austria?”

“I will call you... as often as I can,” Lena promised. “Love you.”

“Love you too.” Kara smiled at the screen and waved until the call disconnected. 

Her frown returned. After a moment’s thought, she punched her first speed dial and held the phone to her ear.

“Hey Alex? I need someone to cover for me for a couple days…”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely headcanon Lena as being raised Catholic. One year she absentmindedly refers to December 6th "St. Nicholas Day" around Kara, and it turns into an hour-long story about Lena's mom staying up late to hide chocolate coins in her shoes. Lena cries, Kara makes them both hot chocolate, and they end up cuddling on the couch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara talks her way into date night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well our spooky friend isn't actually showing up in this chapter even tho it's real-life krampusnacht, but stay tuned I'll wrap it all up soon!

The train to Salzburg was a scant 90 minutes. Just enough time for Lena to enjoy an espresso from the food car, answer half a dozen emails, and even spend a few minutes just staring out the window at the alpine foothills. 

Her interpreter-slash-temporary-assistant briefed her on the city as they gathered their bags and met their limo service to the hotel. Their meeting was in two days, and Salzburg had much to offer. He held his phone out to Lena and tapped through a map, narrating the various locations she might like to explore in her time here. Reports and budgets filtered through her mind, but she listened politely as he pointed out Hohensalzburg Fortress, the Christmas Market, the Cathedral.

Modern, nondescript buildings gave way to more ornate and attractive structures. Georg pointed to a building through the car window -  _ Mozart’s birthplace! _ He exclaimed. Lena nodded along, ready to spend two days working out of a hotel and seeing no more of Salzburg besides the upcoming drive to Porche’s headquarters. 

  
  


“And of course, you have to see the  _ Krampuslauf  _ tonight,” Georg said with excitement, loading suitcases onto a cart outside their hotel. “It’s amazing we found rooms.”

Kara’s worries or not, Lena had no intention of spending a night outside, alone, watching a bunch of people run around in costumes. “Yes, of course,” she lied. 

“You should make a day of it - the market and Cathedral are very close.” He was clearly European, smiling at Lena at the prospect of a weekday not working. As if she had the time for sightseeing. Lena was immensely glad to receive her room key.

“Thank you, Georg,” she excused as she took the card from him. “Meet me in my room later for the meeting with Berlin?”

“ _ Ja, _ Ms. Luthor,” he nodded. “And then maybe you take the evening off to see the town?

“We’ll see.” 

As if on cue, her phone started to buzz as soon as the hotel door clicked shut behind her. Lena rolled her eyes at Kara’s face on the screen.

“Hi Darling,” Lena greeted Kara’s concerned expression with as much cheer as she could muster. 

“Hi,” Kara was clearly still worried, but tamped it down. “How was the trip?”

“It was the most normal trip I could ask for.” Lena waited for a follow up question, but Kara seemed like she hadn’t even heard. “What?”

“Okay so don’t be mad--” Kara blurted. Lena raised an eyebrow. Nothing good had ever come from that sentence. 

“Kara…”

“Think of it as a... romantic Christmas getaway together!”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing yet! Well, I got Alex and J’onn to cover for me tomorrow night, but I haven’t left yet.”

_ Yet.  _ This was not at all the way Lena had expescted this conversation to go. “Wait, you want to come all the way to Austria? For one night?” 

“Yes?”

Lena frowned. “Kara you don’t have to be my personal bodyguard. This is a routine business trip, not a mission to take down an evil organization.”

“No, but--I’m still worried.”

“You’re going to be worried about me a lot in your life, darling. You can’t always drop everything for me.”

Kara mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like  _ wanna bet?  _

Lena tried again. “I want you to know that I’ll be okay by myself. Even in a town with spooky folk tales.”

The frustrated noise that came from Kara was admittedly, adorable, even if Lena was still frustrated by her overprotection. 

“What if,” Kara waved a hand at the camera like  _ wait, hear me out. _ “I promise to work on this whole being-worried-supernatural-creatures-are-going-to-attack-you thing the  _ next  _ time you go to somewhere with Christmas demons?”

“I’m not even going to leave the hotel until my meeting tomorrow morning. There won’t be any chance for Krampus to kidnap me, unless he plans to break into the most expensive hotel in Salzburg.”

Undeterred, Kara pressed, “Well -- can I just come to keep you company?”

“I--” Lena let out a heavy sigh. She gestured vaguely with her free hand like that could stand in for the words she couldn’t find. “I don’t know, Kara. I’ll be back in two days. Can’t you wait?”

The crestfallen expression on Kara’s face was truly excruciating to watch. Her eyes darted away from Lena. But, to her credit, Kara swallowed whatever complaint she had and replied in a small voice. “Yeah, okay.”

Now the guilt started to gnaw at Lena and she found herself adding, “Darling, you know that I miss you.”

“I know,” Kara nodded, almost to herself. She met Lena’s concerned gaze and repeated, louder, “I do, I know.”

A smile broke out on Lena’s face just from staring into those blue eyes. She laid back onto the enormous bed and, imagining the prospect of one more night alone in a gorgeous, romantic European city, she realized Kara had already worn her down. “Oh. Who am I kidding? Just get over here.”

Kara’s whole face lit up. “Really? You sure?”

  
“Yes,  _ but, _ ” Lena added, pointing right at the camera. “No freaking out about Krampus. We’re going to have a fun date night in a cute Christmas town, and we’re  _ not  _ going to worry about running into any monsters because they don’t exist. Okay?”   
  


“Promise!” The phone screen was already a flurry of activity as Kara ran around their apartment. Lena caught glimpses of clothes going into Kara’s rarely-used flight backpack, the sleek black of her stealth suit from last Christmas, and... a gift wrapped box? Before Lena could inquire the phone stilled, back to Kara’s absolutely giddy face. 

“I’llbethereinanhourloveyoubye!” She beamed, and the call disconnected.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we're getting there... slowly.... thanks for bearing with my sporadic tiny updates!

  
  


Fifty-eight minutes later, Lena was at the desk, typing out the last email she absolutely had to respond to before her meeting. The gentle  _ tap  _ of boots on the balcony overlapped her last few keystrokes, and by the time she clicked  _ send  _ there was a superpowered Kryptonian draped over her shoulders.

“Hello to you too,” Lena joked, dropping a kiss onto the blonde head nestled against her neck. “Wanna let me up for a proper greeting?” 

The weight lifted from Lena’s shoulders and she clambered out of the chair, getting a good luck at Kara for the first time in weeks - wearing, not the familiar red-and-blue but a matte black suit, her normally loose Supergirl Hair™ tied up in a tight bun. Lena raised an eyebrow.

“You wore the stealth suit?” 

“Greeting first, teasing later,” Kara insisted, her arms finding new purchase around Lena’s waist. Lena definitely rolled her eyes, but also definitely grabbed the suit’s lapel, and yanked much harder than Kara was expecting. The Kryptonian let out a little squeak of surprise that was immediately muffled by Lena’s eager kiss. 

They pulled back and stood wrapped up in each other, foreheads resting together. “On second thought,” Lena murmured, her words slow and warm - a complete transformation of the harried woman on the phone earlier. “That suit is kind of hot.”   
  


“Oh really?” Kara shifted to leave a gentle kiss on the end of Lena’s nose. “You want to see it up close?”

Lena closed her eyes, imagining the night they could have after so much time apart. But, as the alarm dinging on her computer reminded her, that would have to happen later. Kara’s brow wrinkled at the sudden, familiar sound. 

“Lena  _ no, _ ” Kara whined. “I just got here!”

Lena sighed and untangled herself from Kara, who slumped in place like a sad, kicked puppy. “You’re the one who hung up the phone before I could tell you.”

A sigh from the Kryptonian, and a creaking of bed springs as she flopped back on the giant mattress. “You work too much.”

“Don’t get too comfortable.” Lena said over her shoulder, rifling through the papers spread out on the desk. “Georg is coming down here in 5 minutes.”

“Wait, what? Does that mean I have to leave?”

“Yes. Go find us somewhere nice to have dinner.”Lena gathered a handful of papers together, tapping them on the desk to straighten them. She turned back to the room to one very pouty alien trying to protest. 

“But-- I--” 

Lena leaned over and dropped a quick kiss to her cheek. “Love you.”

Kara crossed her arms, knowing full well this was her fault for not giving Lena a chance to tell her… but still grumbling under her breath. 

A knock on the door interrupted. Lena threw an expectant look at the hero, who heaved a dramatic sigh. 

“Okay, okay,” Kara agreed reluctantly. “I’ll go check the town for wolf-goat demons.”

“And restaurants, please,” Lena reminded. 

“And restaurants.” Kara promised, before a shadowy blur sped out of the room.

  
  
  


Salzburg was nice, Kara supposed. Cute, even, despite the fact that it held a terrifying Yule cryptid (cryptids?? Her research on Krampus’s helper elves was very confusing) waiting to throw people into a sack. 

She super-sped back into her clothes in a nearby alley, and set out at a normal human pace. The hotel overlooked the river, and in the distance Kara could see the castle towering over the city, and the cathedral dome poking up over the flat roofs. That seemed like as good a direction as any.

It  _ was  _ kind of nice to be away from the millions of people in National City and tucked into a small-ish mountain town. The people around her on the footbridge were content to amble along, gazing at the river or the mountains, or chatting away with their companions. Just being around them was relaxing, and Kara was feeling better and better about dragging Lena out on the town tonight.

An hour or so of wandering through tourist-filled crowds and cramped brick streets and Kara still had yet to see or hear anything remotely supernatural. The city was honestly pretty boring. She was starting to feel silly for all the fuss.

Especially now, standing in front of the festive booths of the - she glanced down at the pamphlet in her hand - ‘famous Salzburg Christmas Market’. Rows of vendors offered food, drink, crafts, and lots of stupid tacky touristy junk - all of which Kara was sorely tempted to bring back. At the center of the square was a great, gaudy Christmas tree.

It was perfect. 

Mindful of the time, Kara promised herself  _ just a quick look  _ and weaved through the crowd to get a closer look at the stalls. It was hard not to stop for a bag of freshly roasted chestnuts or some kind of wurst, but Kara resisted and made it through the row with a better idea where to guide Lena.

Kara was already scanning the area for a private spot to fly back to the hotel and had stopped paying attention to the market when someone stumbled into her. Distracted, it took her a precious few moments to remember to react like a powerless human and not accidentally break some poor tourist’s ribs. Kara softened the blow with a couple of well-placed side steps, even if they were a tad faster than the average human.

“Sorry, sorry,” came a muffled, male, English-accented voice, who thankfully did not notice the super speed. His back was to Kara, and when the man spun around to see who he’d run into, the superhero very nearly heat visioned him in the face.

For the second time in a minute, Kara was very grateful for her super reflexes. Instead of an apologetic British tourist, she was face-to-face with a horned, fanged, grinning, demon. But lucky, superpowers. She managed to get her face under control and not scream at what she realized was an elaborately carved mask. 

“Sorry about that,” he repeated, pulling the grotesque covering off and revealing a regular, not-demonic human face. “Couldn’t see in this thing.”

“It’s fine,” Kara stammered, waving him off. But she watched closely as he returned the mask to the seller. As he left, she got a better view of the table covered in wooden masks. 

“Mask to wear to  _ krampusnacht _ ?” the booth vendor held up one of the terrifying wooden carvings. But Kara just stared, imagining the goat demon chasing her, catching her, threatening Lena with birch switches. She shook her head and walked away hastily without so much as a reply to the mask seller. It was stupid and silly and  _ not going to happen _ , she told herself.

_ Not going to happen _ , she repeated as she ducked behind an unseen corner of the Cathedral and jumped into the air. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> technically Christmas is til Jan 6th so send good vibes for finishing by then pls


End file.
